Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said he will press Russian President Vladimir Putin to participate in peace negotiations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Turkey later this week.
"I'll try to talk to Putin," Lula told a press conference in Beijing on Wednesday before heading for Moscow, Agence France-Presse reported. "It costs me nothing to say, 'Hey, comrade Putin, go to Istanbul and negotiate, dammit.' "
Russia and Brazil are both members of the BRICS group of emerging-market powers and Lula reportedly attended Moscow's recent Victory Day parade.
After more than three years of conflict, there is a pathway to peace between Russia and Ukraine but only if direct talks occur between the two sides.
Zelenskyy has said he will be waiting in Istanbul on Thursday for face-to-face discussions with Putin to end the war. In a post on X on Monday, the Ukrainian leader said the "killings must stop" and expressed hope that Putin would make time to attend the peace talks.
"Here in Ukraine, we have absolutely no problem engaging in negotiations, we are ready for any format," Zelenskyy wrote. "I will be in Türkiye this Thursday, May 15, and I expect Putin to come to Türkiye as well, personally. And I hope that this time, Putin won't be looking for excuses as to why he 'can't' make it."
President Donald Trump has urged the two leaders to meet in the Turkish city and said he was considering attending the meeting as well if his schedule permits.
On Sunday, Trump posted to his Truth Social platform that Putin rejected Ukraine's immediate 30-day ceasefire proposal before any negotiations, but "wants to meet on Thursday, in Turkey, to negotiate a possible end to the BLOODBATH."
Russia has said that it will only meet with Ukraine if there are no conditions and that it views a ceasefire as both a condition and an opportunity for Kyiv's forces to regroup.
"Ukraine should agree to this, IMMEDIATELY," Trump said. "At least they will be able to determine whether or not a deal is possible, and if it is not, European leaders, and the U.S., will know where everything stands, and can proceed accordingly!"
"I'm starting to doubt that Ukraine will make a deal with Putin, who's too busy celebrating the Victory of World War ll, which could not have been won (not even close!) without the United States of America. HAVE THE MEETING, NOW!!!" the president added.
The Kremlin has not indicated if Putin will attend the talks in Istanbul, but has said it wants direct negotiations between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations to take place.
"Our delegation will be [in Istanbul] and will wait for the Ukrainian side," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday, according to Russian state news agency TASS.
He added that Putin will decide who is included in the delegation.
The Russian leader launched his full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine in February 2022 in response to Kyiv's Western shift and its progress toward NATO membership, which Russia has deemed a threat to its national security.
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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